Flogging a dead horse

[maderr]

I really don't get why so many authors disapprove of fanfiction. Granted, I'd be a little O_o if someday I read a fic where Karmikel or Bastion or whoever was in a pych ward or being raped or went on a killing spree...but whatever floats the fanficcer's boat. I wouldn't be *rage and anger* about it. I've seen stranger stuff done to even more random chars.

I also know exactly what it's like to have someone slash your straight characters. *looks at the guilty party* I died laughing. Maybe something changes when you're raking in the bucks. Dunno. But I don't see why it's something to get upset about it. What makes me saddest, really, is that if I ever do make professional (hahahaha), I probably won't be "allowed" to read any fanfics of my stories.

Seriously. What's to get upset about? The fact that someone would donate hours, days, weeks, even months or quite possibly years of their lives writing about your characters? How dare they!

I'm making coffee. Decaf. Then laundry >_< And Dad I swear I'll get to those lists I ow you tonight. Should have them by the end of the week. So so so so sorry I've taken this long. You should yell at me or something.

Comments

[cairnsy.livejournal.com]

I think that, in part, I do understand the mindset. To me, it's a lttle like the Japanese artists who get annoyed when english speakers take their fan art and use them without their permission, when you've created something and people often totally disgregard either your right to it or the actual content itself, I'm sure it can make authors run a gauntlet of emotions. I found it a little weird when someone did that to my own fanfic a few years ago, and was surprised by the fact I had that response because of the whole being a fanfic writer myself bit ^^. For authors with no experience with the fanfic world I think it would come as a big shock, and the way that many, many fanfic writers (including myself in this) write pairings, concepts, ideas etc that directly contridict what the author has written, I can see how it becomes less a 'wow, these are such great fans' and more a 'WTF did they read, and what the hell are they doing to my characters?'

[maderr.livejournal.com]

I could see that, sort of. But I've never really viewed anything as set in stone. Stories to me are totally maleable. I'm sure plenty of stuff would upset me to some degree, but not to the point that I would demand they stop altogether. But fanart -- that's a tricky argument. So long as you're claiming to have done the work, I don't see a problem. But as I said, that argument can get sticky. Maile wrote a Kidnapped fanfic once, and my sister is totally playing with my pairings. It never upset me - just all in fun to me. But I guess if it's not a world you're familiar with, it would be rather upsetting. But I don't think it's any reason to ban all and sundry from doing it (or at least posting).